Music streaming services explained

What are music streaming services?

Listening to music online is a very popular form of online entertainment. There are now thousands of websites that provide legal music streaming services. Music streaming offers a real alternative to music download services. You don't need to spend hours downloading tracks, you don’t need to carry your music collection with you and you won’t use up valuable hard drive space.

What does a music streaming website do?

You can choose between a jukebox-style or radio listening experience (where tracks are lined up based on your previous listening choices) or a pick-and-play model where you search for the artist or track you want and play it online. Many music streaming services allow you to download all your own tracks into the system so you can listen to an almost limitless amount of music.

With these websites you can listen to the whole track without cut-offs, but you can’t download it. Some services require a subscription for unlimited listening while others provide their catalogue for free. Some services let you listen to tracks on your mobile phone.

Features & benefits

The choice! There are literally thousands of tracks to listen to. The top music streaming services have almost all the major record labels signed up offering popular artists and albums as well as a selection of more obscure tracks for music junkies.

This method of listening is also a great way to discover new music. The radio or jukebox tool plays tracks based on your previous music choices – new artists and songs appear that you may never have considered before.